(MENAFN) Russia has voiced strong opposition to a new European Union measure restricting visa access for Russian citizens, with a Foreign Ministry spokeswoman suggesting the policy favors “migrants on benefits” over financially capable travelers.

The EU recently announced it would halt the issuance of new multiple-entry Schengen visas for most Russian nationals, permitting only single-entry visas. This change requires Russians to apply for a visa each time they plan to visit the bloc, according to reports.

“Apparently, the European Commission reasoned as follows: why does Western Europe need solvent tourists when it has illegal migrants and Ukrainian draft dodgers living on benefits?” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated.

The move forms part of a broader set of measures intended to limit Russian arrivals. The European Commission described the restrictions as a response to what it termed the “weaponization of migration, acts of sabotage and potential misuse of visas.”

Certain exceptions are allowed, including close relatives of EU citizens—spouses, registered partners, and children under 21—as well as transport workers such as seafarers and truck drivers, who may qualify for nine-month visas.

Even before the official ban, Russians were already receiving very few multiple-entry visas, according to the Russian Union of the Travel Industry (RST). “Multiple-entry visas are now issued to a minimal number of travelers from Russia to Europe, most often to business tourists,” the RST said.

Since the outbreak of the Ukraine conflict in 2022, the EU has made visiting more difficult and costly for Russian nationals, suspending a visa facilitation agreement and subjecting applications to stricter scrutiny.

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